The 12 Best NFL Draft Classes of All Time, Ranked

• Notable Players: Joe Montana, Phil Simms, Ottis Anderson, Kellen Winslow, Dan Hampton

The 1979 NFL draft class may not be the most deep from top to bottom, but gave us some of the biggest individual figures that era had to offer. Joe Montana, Phil Simms, and Ottis Anderson lead the way as three players to win a Super Bowl MVP from this draft. Montana is joined by Kellen Winslow and Dan Hampton as the hall-of-famers in this class.

• Notable Players: Larry Csonka, Art Shell, Charlie Sanders, Curley Culp, Ken Stabler

The names that highlight the 1968 NFL draft may not jump out at you, but football fans know how important this draft was to the future of the league. There are eight hall of fame players in this class including Larry Csonka, Art Shell, Ron Yary, Elvin Bethea, Charlie Sanders, Curley Culp, Claude Humphrey, and Ken Stabler.

In 1972, Larry Csonka pounced his way to Super Bowl MVP, solidifying this class as one of the best.

• Notable Players: John Riggins, Jack Ham, Dan Dierdorf, Jack Youngblood, Harold Carmichael, Jim Plunkett

The 1971 NFL draft is another that may not have the biggest names on it, but the depth and highlights of the top players make this draft that much better.

There are five total Hall of Fame players from this draft, including Jack Ham, John Riggins, Dan Dierdorf, Jack Youngblood, and Harold Carmichael. The first overall selection, Jim Plunkett, helped lead the Raiders to a Super Bowl and took home the MVP trophy. John Riggins also went on to win a Super Bowl MVP from this class.

• Notable Players: Hines Ward, Peyton Manning, Randy Moss, Charles Woodson

The 1998 NFL draft isn't the deepest, but the big names who highlight this draft are some of the best athletes to ever pick up a football.

Peyton Manning and Hines Ward go down as the two Super Bowl MVPs from this class, and did it in epic fashion. There are four total Hall of Fame players including Ward, Manning, Randy Moss, and Alan Faneca.

Randy Moss will always be remembered as one of the greatest wide receivers ever, and getting "Moss'd" became a term synonymous with leaping over a defender to win jump balls.

• Notable Players: Cam Newton, Malcolm Smith, Von Miller, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones

There may not be any Hall of Fame players from the 2011 NFL draft yet, but that's because a lot of the best players in this draft are still playing! NFL MVP Cam Newton highlights this class as the first overall selection. Two of the best wide receivers ever shortly followed with A.J. Green and Julio Jones coming off the board.

This draft was equally as stacked on the defensive side of the ball with CB Patrick Peterson and two Super Bowl MVPs Von Miller and Malcolm Smith.

• Notable Players: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Larry Fitzgerald, Sean Taylor

The 2004 NFL Draft class is another that doesn't have Hall of Fame players yet, but that's because they just retired and will become eligible soon.

This is one of the best quarterback classes the draft has ever seen. Highlighting the group is two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and future hall of fame quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger.

• Notable Players: Willie Lanier, Gene Upshaw, Larry Little, Ken Houston, Alan Page, Bob Griese, Jan Stenerud, Lem Barney, Rayfield Wright, Floyd Little

The 1967 NFL Draft didn't produce any Super Bowl MVPs, but it is tied for the most Hall of Fame players to ever be drafted in one class. Ten individual players were inducted, including Oakland Raiders legend Gene Upshaw, who many argue is the greatest Raider of all-time.

• Notable Players: Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Steve Atwater

Another draft that wasn't exactly deep, but was next-level when it came to talent was the 1989 class. This draft produced five Hall of Fame players, and they were five of the greatest players to ever play football.

Highlighting the class is quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Barry Sanders, and corner/wide receive/return specialist/professional baseball player Deion Sanders.

• Notable Players: Roger Staubach, Bob Hayes, Charley Taylor, Bob Brown, Carl Eller, Paul Warfield, Mel Renfro, Paul Krause, Dave Wilcox, Leroy Kelly

The 1964 NFL Draft gave us one Super Bowl MVP and is tied for the most Hall of Fame players drafted on a single night (10).

Highlighting this class is Super Bowl VI MVP Roger Staubach, one of the most important early figures in the NFL.

• Notable Players: Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor, Ronnie Lott, Howie Long, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Kenny Easley

The 1981 NFL Draft featured a number of incredible stars from top to bottom. The first round included all-time greats like Lawrence Taylor and Ronnie Lott, but later rounds saw steals like the captain of the 85' Chicago Bears defense, Mike Singletary.

This class will go down as one of the best and deepest classes to ever be called out on draft night.

• Notable Players: Jim Brown, Len Dawson, Jim Parker, Sonny Jurgensen, Paul Hornung, Don Maynard, Henry Jordan, Tommy McDonald, Gene Hickerson

The 1957 NFL Draft featured nine Hall of Famers, including Super Bowl IV MVP Len Dawson and all-time great running back Jim Brown. The NFL truly would not be what it is today without players like Jim Brown, who was a monster on the field. He also helped spur civil rights activism off the field.

Jim Brown is the epitome of what it means to be a professional athlete.

• Notable Players: John Elway, Dan Marino, Erick Dickerson, Richard Dent, Jim Kelly, Bruce Matthews, Darrell Green, Jimbo Covert

The 1983 NFL Draft is not only the greatest of all-time, but it also gave us one of the best draft night stories ever.

Stanford quarterback John Elway was looking like a generational talent that could turn around any franchise. He was selected first overall by the Baltimore Colts but Elway didn't want to play for them. After threatening to never play a down of football in the NFL unless the Colts traded him, they shipped him to Denver and the rest is history.

Also of note, New York Jets fans were distraught when the team decided to take Ken O'Brien with the 24th pick over Dan Marino (who went 27th) in the most loaded quarterback class the NFL will likely ever see. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first round. Half of them became Hall of Famers (Elway, Kelly & Marino). Ken O'Brien actually had some Pro-Bowl seasons while Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason were relative busts.